Encinitas council weighs pay raises

ENCINITAS — The Encinitas City Council could vote to increase the compensation for the city’s elected positions by more than $500 a month Wednesday.

If approved, the increase wouldn’t go into effect until after the 2018 election, when a new council is seated. But at least two of the current sitting council members — Tony Kranz and Tasha Boerner Horvath, who aren’t up for re-election until 2020 — would benefit from Wednesday’s vote.

Catherine Blakespear, Mark Muir and the fifth open seat are up for re-election before the raise would take effect.

The City Council currently earns a $1,186 monthly salary, and the elected mayor receives $1,286 — the council’s base plus a $100 stipend.

The proposal would raise the base salary of the council and mayor positions by five percent for every year the city has gone without raising the pay, in this the council last voted itself a pay raise in 2008, so the proposed increase is $533.70.

The council considered raising its pay in 2010, but a divided group voted 3-2 against the raise, citing the economy as the deciding factor.